Daily Republican., 1887-04-29
THE RIVER PHANTOM,
BY ARTHUR L. MEsERvE.

Al BY ARTHUR L. MESERvE.
1t was . dark, moon less Septe m b.
: might, and the scene o point along IL
4 southern bank OF the Ohio river.
II Had an observer been standing theI
] In the dark shadows OF the giant trsI
: that In those days lined its banks. b
ears would at frst have been sitracts
BY the dip OF paddle . little way on
lon the broad surface of the river.
: little longer, and 1t would have bee
| plain that whoever was handling 1t wa
, doing 30 In manner To make as it'll
); noise % possible.
II Tho boat Vas gliding In toward III
!. bank. and fts occupants evidently di
not desire that its approach should b
, noted by any ono who might be lurkin,
/ there, securely hidden by the i'm pepe
trs BILE gloom which lay about the spot
The dip Of the paddle grew faiDst
and fainter, but still the boat was alid
Ing shorewaid under the i'm pstus siver
1t further ont In tho strea IN. In thi
manner IL noiselessly came OF, and q
: last Its PROV touched the shore.
The rext moment two men, who wer,
its occupants, sprang to land. Silently
they Grew the boat up and made II faat
and whom this was done, they stood fol
J few moments mute and motionless u
the trunks OF the forest trees abou,
them. The men were armed alike. A
long rifle and Il hunting knife thrus,
into their belts.
One seemed the taller OF the two
muscular and as straight as q savage,
The other, below the medium height
had o stoop In his shou iders almost like
that Of an hunchback.
The first mentioned broke the silence
ut length, speaking In SO low tone that
1t was hardly above whisper.
"Well, Jake, we're here ct last"
The other grunted an assent.
And no one In these parte ia any the
wiser rs to our whereabouts. Jake"
Another Rrunt OF assent.
why don't you speak? Have you
lost your tongue?" Growled the other
Indignantly.
| "what do you want ms 10 say ?" said
Jake
THAT We are something less than q
mile from John Winslow's cabin, and
that the hour of my vengeance IL close
at hand. He or no one else can have
the faiptess idea OF our wheres bouts"
Don't he too ture OF that, Simon
Plaisted. You know that the thing has
banked you more than once In your
plaus."
His companion shuddered.
You mean the river phantoM?" he
said.
"Yes; what else should 1 mean"
u wish l knew whether that was
man or devil. Sometimes l think 1t
must be the latter"
n m NJ Ia ha FOIL
OF his imps. II not, how does te man
age to turn up at ali times, when some
desd that will not bear the light IL go.
ing on?"
Il don't know. 1 wish did, curse
him! II he is human, he must bear a
charmed life, tor q bullet seems to have
no eject. l have tried 1t more than
once, and you know that my bullets
hardly ever go astray."
Your hand may have been unsteady"
said the other. Shooting man and
ghost ia two difierent things"
ibid you ever know 1t TO 20 back on
me, Jake Foley? You and have been
hunted, and been hunted like wild
beasts, and yet we are alive But we
are losing time hero. 1t will be all aulet |
at the cabin by the time we get there. |
l long to get my vengeance on John
Winslow, and clasp his pretty dau2h
ter, Rose. In my arms. We must not /
fail tonight"
Toese words were hardly uttered |
when his companion clut shed him by |
the atm
"LooE." he cried In low zone tina,
was tremulous with terror.
"Where?"
"Out On the river. The phantom"
This was what they saw: A hileous
human head seemed to be thrust up
from the dark waters OF the river. ALL
az low with flames. 1t seemed to flash
from eyes. mouth and nostrils, white
stream like the shape of a plume nod
ded over all. Itseemed as though the
hideous thing iioatsd on the surface of
the water, without aught to support 1t,
although the startled gszsrs could not
tell from the distance whether this was
the case or not. A canoe might be IN.
der 1t, hidden from their eight by the
aiknees.
Slowly this terrible object giidei
Town the river, and In few moments
" as lost to their view. Both men set m
I'd to breathe easier when 1t had disap
,eared from their gaze.
Your game Is up for to night, Simon.
The Thing knows that We ale here, and
10 will John Winslow. before the time
70 mes for us to str ken'
His companion uttered an oath.
How do you know that, Jake Foley?l
Nan or devil, how Ia he going to reach !
Ninslow's cabin before we can? tell
'ou he shall be In my power to night"
Then you mean to 90 on to the
abin?"
"Yes! Come, let us be off We arc {
osing time here. am not going to be
oiled in my vengeance now. With I
mother glance out upon the river in
he direction OF the spot whittier the I
TRANCE object had disaI peared. the two
'illains struck out into the dark ness t
I'D silence which filled the forest about /
hem. John Winslow and Simon Plais
ed had been neighbors in the Old Do. y
ninion, from whence the former had re
moved three years before. and bui, { his a
abin on the bank of the Ohio He had .
ow quite q tract cleared about him,
nd unmolested by the savages, had a
eaceful home, and was on the road 10
rcsptrity.
There was only ore thing OF late Il
Which had given him and his family G
neasinees. This was the presence In q
he country of Simon Plaisted. For z
arious crimes, to which at last was z
dded tie shedding Of innocent blood, q
laisted had been compelled to flee =
'om Virginia, and report had 1t tina. he Il
al joined band Of renegades that in d
,sted the Ohio river. Il
Winslow had been Instrumental In II
'rre,ing out some Of his crimes, aud
,r this reason he knew vel! that the
i.lain bore him no good will. When ct
9 appeared one day at tho cabin, and
aimed old acqua!ntanoeship, he felt as
lough shadow of evil had fallen II
thwart his home. he had been re. =,
lived coolly; but he came agsin and =,
gain, and from the admiring CLAN ces ~
a Caat Unou nraftu Posa Wi1alo- ha.I w